WASHINGTON — The long wait is over. Amid the chaos of government corruption, civil unrest, construction delays, water pollution and the threat of a major health crisis, the opening ceremony for the Games of the XXXI Olympiad take place Friday in Rio de Janeiro.
While there will be plenty of American stories to watch as they develop, the D.C. area will be represented in a number of sports. And those stories go beyond just the big names like swimmers Katie Ledecky and Michael Phelps.
In the lead up to the games, WTOP will introduce you to an array of local athletes striving for Olympic glory.
See the list of stories below, and listen to our two Olympic Preview Podcasts: the first featuring interviews with local athletes participating in the games and the second, a conversation with USA Today’s Christine Brennan about some of the larger issues surrounding the games.
Monday: Gary Antuanne Russell – Boxing (light welterweight)
Tuesday: Ashley Nee – Kayaking (K1)
Wednesday: Kat Holmes – Fencing (epee)
Thursday: Jack Conger – Swimming (4 x 200 free relay)
Friday: Matthew Centrowitz – Track & Field (1,500 meters)
Olympic Preview Podcast (featuring local athletes):
Hosted by WTOP Sports Editor Noah Frank and Sports Anchor and Reporter Rob Woodfork
Download the mp3 directly or via iTunes.
Road to Rio: A Conversation with Christine Brennan:
WTOP’s Shawn Anderson and Hillary Howard talk with USA Today Sports Columnist and longtime Olympic Correspondent Christine Brennan
Download the mp3 directly or via iTunes.